Day: March 25, 2018

This morning I joined my parishioners, both of my clergy, and Episcopalians from other Pensacola-area Episcopal churches in our city’s March For Our Lives. To be honest, I am still trying to process this amazing experience.

At our annual Convention last month, our bishop encouraged us to ” be Church” : to leave the stained-glass walls of our buildings and carry Christ to our community.

My parish, and others in The Episcopal Branch of the Jesus Movement: did just that today. We joined with others around the nation as we demonstrated peacefully for reasonable gun reform. Not that I said ” reform” instead of ” remove”. We were NOT marching to demand that the 2nd Amendment be repealed: we were marching in solidarity with people { especially teenagers} across America that are demanding that we review our attitudes concerning firearms.

We marched with this young lady.

Here is a photo of me with one of my best friends from church. I made both signs that we are holding. Mine shows photos of my nephew and niece: I want them to have their right to safe and secure schools. In addition, I do not want my nephew to be a victim of racial profiling.

{ I am the taller woman}

All sorts of people from every walk of life came to the march. Our group led the way { literally} , so we saw everyone else finish the route of the march at the Judicial Building downtown.

This is at the end of the route, as people began streaming into the area in front of the Judicial Building.

We started with prayer , led by my rector and her colleague at Christ Church, Pensacola.

Here I am with some of our group from the Episcopal Peace Fellowship chapter of which I am a member.

Today we did not ” go to Church.” Rather, today, we were the Church. I am grateful for all those pilgrims who made this incredible journey with me. As we move into Holy Week and remember Jesus’ Passion, let us be mindful of those who are voiceless and hurting.

It is time to let our children know that their safety and well-being matter. It is time to re-examine our relationship with firearms and enact laws that keep deadly weapons away from civilians. It is time to look at why white teen boys are angry, and do something about their conduct . Teach them to respect women and other races, faiths, and sexualities.

It is time tp put our prayers into action. We’ve let down a whole generation of students— but we can and should redeem ourselves now. Children should not be sacrificed so that some people’s ” right” to own weapons designed to shred human flesh is kept.

Enough.

Enough.

Enough.

” O LORD , make me an instrument of Thy Peace…..

With a grateful heart,

Sarah Beth

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